I've seen morale sky-high when bullets were flying. Depends upon the belief in the mission, trust in leadership, and a bonding with your unit. I don't think that being shot at, for a combat unit with experience, is a morale-buster.

And, in my experience, on the way to getting that experience being shot at is more frightening than morale-breaking. There are too many questions, including how one will react themselves. Scary.

If, however, folks are being shot at and dying for the benefit of Halliburton, if the civilians being "liberated" hate you and want you to leave, and if your leadership at the battalion level seems to not care about your welfare,

then morale can be bad, indeed.

Arf